New website

Hi friends,
When you get a moment, I'd love it if you could look at the new Warren Parkes Memorial Website. I created it this last week, and thought it'd be a good way for all of us to keep Warren's memory alive. Here is the link:

rememberingwarren.blogspot.com

And, if you feel so inclined, please share a memory in the Memory Book, or add your thoughts in the Journal section. This is OUR website to remember Warren, so please feel free to add something to the site! (One note: Those of you that attended the memorial service may remember that there was a memory book at the back for attendees to write to Warren or share their memories of him. I transcribed all those memories shared at the service onto this website. Just wanted to let you know in case you see your name there and wonder how that happened).

Also, I uploaded photos from my travels in my twenties to this site. They are listed under 1996-1998 in the archives at the right. I had never done anything with all the pictures I had taken during my travels in the 90s, and I really just needed to finally shut them up by doing something with them. At the risk of sounding like a crazy lady...I swear those photos were taunting me from the closet: "Why haven't you done anything with us." "Why did you even bother to take us. We've been sitting here for ten years." So there, I've 'done something' with them. I've put them on the web. They should be happy now.

Hello from San Francisco

Surprise, surprise...I'm back in the States!!!

I'm in San Francisco right now, visiting my parents who are living here for a year and a half. I wanted to surprise them by just showing up on their doorstep so I couldn't mention anything about coming home early on this site. I arrived Wednesday afternoon, and boy were they surprised!!

Why am I back? Short answer: I got a hankering to go to Spain. I've been feeling pretty done with Africa for several weeks now so I decided to come home early, spend the holidays with my family, then, around mid-January, go to Spain for three months to do a Spanish Immersion Program. Just a minor deviation from the original plan, eh?

So...this will be my last blog entry for awhile, probably until I leave for Spain. Until then, thanks for tuning in over the last few months. It's been fun knowing that so many friends and family were accompanying me on my journey. :)

Have a fantastic holiday and, as always, you can reach me at my email address.

Cape Town

I could definitely live in Cape Town! I have really liked everything I've seen of the city so far, including Cape Town's city center/CBD, referred to as the city bowl. It's walkable, it's pleasant, it's clean, it feels safe...it's all good.  I generally head into the city bowl once or twice a week with friends to shop, dine, see the sights, or just hang out. When I leave Cape Town, I will miss those trips into the city!

A few weeks ago I decided that Cape Town was just so cool that I wanted to know more about it, so I searched around and found a guided walking tour of the city given by a local historian. The description sounded really intriguing, so Henriet decided to join in as well.  The tour started out pretty interesting. Cape Town has a really eclectic mix of buildings, so the added explanation provided by the guide was helpful in invisioning the development of the city.

And it was very fascinating to visit Greenmarket Square and the nearby Presbyterian church, and hear about the anti-Apartheid protests held there (and subsequently squashed there...one time squashed with sprayguns of purple paint!). As we listened to the stories of the protests and defeat of apartheid, we stood on the very steps of the Presbyterian church where Nelson Mandela gave his first speech admonishing forgiveness and reconciliation after the fall of apartheid.

Once we left Greenmarket Square, however, the tour got kind of boring. Then it got really boring. The walking to standing-and-listening ratio was all wrong. (10 minutes on the history about random building number 57, one minute of walking, then 10 minutes on the history about random building 58, etc...) After drawing upon all the discipline we could muster, we finally excused ourselves half way through. Two hours was more than enough; four would have been too much. (Instead, we went to "Game"--South Africa's Target--where Henriet bought some bouncy seats for the Bap babies...which they ended up absolutely loving!)

Bo Kaap
Just up the hill from downtown is Bo Kaap, Cape Town's historic Islamic quarter (dating back to the mid-1700s.)  I spent one solo afternoon strolling around this quiet residental area of cobblestone streets and closely packed houses painted in bright greens, pinks and blues.

It was midday on a Friday--the Muslim day of public worship in mosques--so I was there to hear the call to prayer from the mineret, then see the rush to the mosque, and see the crowds pouring out a little while later. So interesting to see firsthand.

This area certainly feels a world away from the nearby city center.

Getting around town
One unique feature of my stay in Cape Town has been riding in the minibus taxis, pictured at right. Minibus taxis are generally not safe to use in most of South Africa (due to violent crime, unroadworthy vans...) but Cape Town is the exception, and riding in them is quite common and safe...and CHEAP! From Obs, it would cost about $10 to get a private taxi into town. Catching a mini-bus taxi, on the other hand, costs about 60 cents.


True you have to share it with upwards of 18 other adults, and it is true that you have to listen to whatever horrible music is blaring on the radio, and it is true that the drivers aren't the most courteous or safe drivers around, but... it's all worth it for the cost savings and the crazy 18-coeds-in-a-telephone-booth experience every time you hop on.

If we had a mini-bus taxi system like this in the US, my car would probably never leave the garage.

But...I hate the Cape Doctor
In the interest of balanced reporting, I gotta come up with something that I don't like about Cape Town. So, here it is: Cape Town is insanely, blow-you-over windy. I didn't know this before I came. Did you know this about Cape Town? It's so windy, it's that "you have to be kidding me" type of funny...except when it's really getting on my nerves, which for me is now most of the time. Residents call the wind "the cape doctor" because it blows away pollutants, but seeing that the wind also blows around pollen...it ain't no doctor for me. I have been an allergic mess since arriving. In fact, the Cape Doctor has made me go to the Local Doctor for a shot in my arse to help ease my allergies. Oye!

Remembering Warren

In September of this year, NorthCentral University and the City of Prescott Valley held the Second Annual Prescott Valley Kinetic Sculpture Race, and presented the winner with the Warren Parkes Grand Champion Trophy.

I just got a picture of the trophy, and I love it. It's a worked metal piece depicting Warren flying an airplane, and on his chest is a large red heart.

I like the whole piece (I tend to like art made out of scrap metals), but I really love the big red heart, and love knowing that everyone who knew Warren saw what a big heart he had.

Warren was a pilot, a photographer, a writer, a designer, a college lecturer, a singer...he was so many things. But above all, he was just such a good person. He cared so much. I lived with him, so I saw how much he cared. And now it makes me happy to see that others saw it too!

(See the September blog entitled "PV Tribune Article about Warren" to read more about the award and why it is being given in Warren's honor).

Bye-Bye Bap Babies

My eight weeks of volunteering at Bapumelele Children's Home are up. I just completed my final shift this morning and said a final goodbye to the kids.

And yes...I was really sad. I didn't cry like departing volunteers generally do, but I certainly didn't feel any sense of 'Phew, it's over.' I'll miss the children, some of them a lot. I just won't miss the pandemonium.

Here's my last collage of the kids. What cuties.

It was hardest to say goodbye to Sibusiso! I want to pack him in my suitcase and take him home as a souvenir. I'll just tell customs that he's my little puppet boy. He's South Africa's Pinocchio, with his big head, skinny but compact little body, and a mouth that seems to only open vertically--just like a dummy's mouth. In the middle of a ticklefest, the only indication of enjoyment is his hoarse little laugh and just the slightest gap between his lips. He's super light so I treat him just like a puppet, spending most of my time with him swinging him around, twirling him over my shoulders, hanging him upside down and tickling him, etc... Ah, my little puppet boy. I think I've been spoiling him too much lately!

But he and all the other Bap babies will surely be spoiled by the next round of volunteers, and the volunteers after that. So I am sad for selfish reasons alone. :)